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Self-test: Can you paint stress away?

4.4.2017

Translation: machine translated

When stress gets the better of you, any means that promises peace and relaxation will do. Even a wild dance with a colouring book and lots of neat coloured pencils. But why exactly do we calm down when we colour in and how much relaxation can we expect? A self-test.

There are days when I ask myself: Why in God's name have I taken on so much? My current stress level is at a dizzying height. I was even able to back up this assumption with an ultra-serious online test. A year ago, I made my first attempt to find the so-called inner centre that everyone was talking about with yoga. It actually worked pretty well at first, until I had to ditch the yoga classes due to numerous scheduling conflicts. My centre was gone and I tipped sideways again.

A new alternative was needed. Preferably one that I could use flexibly every day within my own four walls (any other wishes?). That's when I came across the new relaxation trend: painting! Suddenly the bookshops were literally wallpapered with colouring books for adults. My initial scepticism gave way to a bright-eyed enthusiasm when I was told by a friend how great it worked for her. Status the next day: bought! Add to that a set of new coloured pencils and I was ready for a full load of Zen mode.

What happens to us while we're colouring?

But before I dared to try it out for myself, I wanted to find out more: How exactly is this relaxation through doodling supposed to work? I asked Brigitte Jenni, a qualified psychological counsellor, about this.

"If you're constantly stressed, you put your nervous system under a lot of strain," says Brigitte Jenni. Particularly in this day and age, when we can hardly escape distractions, it is difficult to keep in touch with ourselves and our intuition. We often take refuge in trends such as "living more beautifully" or trying to buy our well-being with pretty clothes. But once you've spent the money, you soon realise that the desired effect doesn't materialise. Painting doesn't tackle the problem from the outside, but from the inside. The creative part of us is activated and after a few minutes the mind switches off, similar to meditation, and thoughts wander. Full concentration is focussed on a single point. You automatically breathe deeper into your belly. The nervous system shuts down. Relaxation sets in. "Seen in this way, painting can be seen as a kind of bridge from stress back to calm," says Jenni.

Brigitte Jenni and qualified art therapist Dakshini Claudia Zepf point out that the following points should be considered if painting is to have any real effect:

It should be 30-45 minutes a day. If you're constantly stressed, painting once a weekend won't help much. For a healthy balance, there needs to be an interplay between stress and calmness.
Retreat yourself quietly. Noise and people around you are not conducive to this exercise.
A quiet, tidy space also helps you to find peace
If you want to intensify the effect, you can listen to calm, classical instrumental sounds. Ideal sounds are those that approximate the rhythm of the heartbeat (i.e. between 60 and 80 beats per minute). However, this only makes sense if you also like this type of music.
Absolutely forbidden: Leaving the television on on the side.

"By the way, small children can colour anywhere undisturbed as they are not exposed to the same distractions as we are. They still have intact contact with their inner centre," explains Jenni. "Mobile phones, social media, school, work, all these stresses are still foreign to them."

By the way: Painting can also be used if something specific has happened that you are very upset about. However, it should not be used purely to combat symptoms. So if you are under constant stress and therefore have underlying problems and are at risk of suffering a burn-out, you should seek professional help and get to the root of the problem.

My experience

In the beginning, I was very tempted to avoid it. I convinced myself that I could make better use of the time during my "painting sessions". In the first few minutes after I set down my pencils with motivation, there was only one sentence buzzing around in my head: "You should do something more meaningful - preferably right now!". Ignoring this inner voice took a lot of strength. But eventually I managed that too. The time while I was painting passed in a flash and after about 15 minutes my thoughts began to take on a life of their own. My breathing also became calmer, as predicted. This daily exercise proved to be a real sleeping pill, especially before going to bed. Normally, the last thing I see before going to bed is my mobile phone screen. Despite the blue light filter, not exactly what is advisable for a restful sleep. That's why I can also recommend painting to people who have trouble falling asleep. After a week of consistent painting, I can say that the stress itself is not gone, of course, because what has to be done remains to be done. However, I was able to "artificially" put myself into the relaxed phases, which were really sorely needed.

Colouring books

The creative coloring book for adults

Colouring books

Quantity discount

CHF13.50 per piece for 2 units

Fantastic wildlife

Colouring books

My enchanted forest

Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer (Multicoloured, 48 x)

Pencils

CHF105.–

Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer

Multicoloured, 48 x

Caran d'Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Metallschachtel (Multicoloured, 40 x)

Pencils

CHF63.90

Caran d'Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Metallschachtel

Multicoloured, 40 x

Pencil sharpeners

Quantity discount

CHF5.80 per piece for 2 units

Faber-Castell Grip 2001

Colouring books

The creative coloring book for adults

Quantity discount

Colouring books

CHF13.50 per piece for 2 units

Fantastic wildlife

Colouring books

My enchanted forest

Pencils

CHF105.–

Faber-Castell Albrecht Dürer

Multicoloured, 48 x

Pencils

CHF63.90

Caran d'Ache Prismalo Aquarelle Metallschachtel

Multicoloured, 40 x

Quantity discount

Pencil sharpeners

CHF5.80 per piece for 2 units

Faber-Castell Grip 2001

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Photo: depositphotos (DragonImages)

9 people like this article

Natalie Hemengül

Senior Editor

Natalie.Hemenguel@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a massive Disney fan, I see the world through rose-tinted glasses. I worship series from the 90s and consider mermaids a religion. When I’m not dancing in glitter rain, I’m either hanging out at pyjama parties or sitting at my make-up table. P.S. I love you, bacon, garlic and onions.

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Self-test: Can you paint stress away?

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